Wall construction assembly



QC o L- J. LA TART Filed Feb. 21. 1968 WALL CONSTRUCTION ASSEMBLYINVENTOR. Leland J. Lo Tort ATTORNEYS Sept. 30, 1969 Ill/l 3,469,362WALL CONSTRUCTION ASSEMBLY Leland 3. La Tart, Rome, N.Y., assignor toRevere Copper and Brass Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a

corporation of Maryland Filed Feb. 21, 1968, Ser. No. 707,223 Int. Cl.E04b 2/00 US. Cl. 52-586 2 Claims ABSCT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wallconstruction assembly comprising at least two extruded metal panelsections having spaced parallel skin members, an extruded metal joinertube the side portion of which lie partially within the channel-shapedlongitudinal edges of the panels and having outwardly displaced centralportions adapted to lie in the plane of the skin members, and afire-resistant panel positioned adjacent each skin member of the Wallpanel sections and secured to the outwardly displaced central portionsof the joiner tube to permit expansion of the metal panel sectionsindependently of the fire-resistant panels.

This invention relates to a building wall construction assembly and,more particularly, to such a wall assembly composed of extruded metalstructural members and fire-resistant surface members.

Wall construction assemblies have been produced heretofore of extrudedmetal panel components interconnected by joiner tubes or chines andcovered on their wall surface with sheet-like panels of fire-resistantmaterial bonded or otherwise secured to the walls of the panels. It hasbeen found, however, that the thermal expansion of the metal panelcomponents so exceeds that of the fire-resistant panels as to causebuckling of the fire-resistant panels when they are initially installed,as required by fire regulations, with negligible spacing betweenadjacent edges of the fire-resistant panels.

I have now devised a wall construction assembly composed essentially ofsuch extruded metal parts and superposed fire-resistant panels whichpermits a permanently cloes fit between adjacent edges of thefire-resistant panels Without buckling due to thermal expansion orcontraction of the underlying supporting structure of panels and joiningmembers. The wall construction assembly of the present inventioncomprises at least two extruded metal Wall panel sections and anextruded metal joiner tube. Each of the panel sections comprises twoparallel skin members integrally connected in spaced relationship by aplurality of web members positioned at longitudinally spaced intervalstransversely between the skin members with the skin members extendingbeyond the endmost web members of each panel section to form therewith achannel-shaped longitudinal edge portion. Each of the joiner tubescomprises an elongated tube having a first pair of parallel spaced sidewalls and a second pair of parallel spaced side walls normal to thefirst pair, each of the side walls of the second pair thereof having acentral portion outwardly offset from the other portions thereof by ashoulder portion substantially normal to the plane of the other portionsof said second pair of side walls and having a depth substantially equalto the thickness of the channel-forming extensions of the wall panelsection skin members, the two central portions being parallel to oneanother. The wall panel sections are assembled with the two end portionsof the joiner tube adjacent the first pair of spaced side walls insertedin and frictionally engaging the channel-shaped longitudinal edgeportions of adjoining wall panel sections with the extremities of theextending side wall skin members terminating short of the proximateshoulder portions of States Patent ice the joiner tube and with thefirst pair of joiner tube side walls spaced from their respectiveproximate endmost web members of the adjacent wall panel sections. Theassembly is completed .by a fire-resistant panel positioned parallel toand susbtantially in contact With each panel section skin member andcoextensive with a plurality of the wall panel sections, thefire-resistant panel being secured to the underlying central offsetportion of each oiner tube interconnecting the aforesaid plurality ofwall panel sections.

These and other novel features of the wall construction assembly of thepresent invention will be readily apparent from the following discussiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is asectional view of a wall construction assembly embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section of the joint between adj acent panelsections shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section of the joint between adjacent wall panelassemblies embodying the invention.

The wall construction assembly shown in FIG. 1 comprises a plurality ofwall panel sections 5 of extruded metal, such as aluminum or aluminumalloy, covered on one or both sides with a sheet of fire-resistantmaterial 6, such as asbestos sheet board or the like. In the drawing,the wall panel sections marked 5 comprise part of a single wall panelmade up of a plurality of sections covered with a single sheet offire-resistant material marked 6, whereas the wall section marked 5a andthe sheet of fire-resistant material marked 6a are components of asecond and similar wall panel joined along one of its longitudinal edgesto a longitudinal edge of the firstmentioned panel.

The extruded wall panel sections 5 and 5a are of wellknown constructionconsisting of two parallel skin members 7 connected in spacedrelationship by a plurality of web members 8 positioned atlongitudinally spaced intervals transversely between the skin members.The two skin members of each panel section can be continuous for maximumrigidity or can be discontinuous for minimum weight where rigidity isnot as important, and both types can be incorporated in a single panelas shown in FIG. 1. Along the longitudinal edges of each Wall panelsection, the skin members extend beyond the endmost web member to formtherewith a channel-shaped longitudinal edge portion 9.

Adjacent wall panel sections forming components of a single panel areinterconnected along their channelshaped longitudinal edge portions 9 bya frictionally held but floating joiner tube 10 shown in the left halfof FIG. 1 and in detail in FIG. 2. The joiner tube is extruded,advantageously of the same metal as the wall panel sections, and has afirst pair of parallel spaced side walls 11 and a second pair ofparallel spaced side walls 12 normal to the first pair. Each of the sidewalls 12 is provided with a central portion 12a which is outwardlyoffset from the end portions of the side walls 12 by a shoulder portion13 substantially normal to the planes of the end portions and offsetcentral portions of the side wall 12. The depth of the shoulder 13 issubstantially equal to the thickness of the channel-forming extensionsof the wall panel section skin members 7.

The adjacent Wall panel sections 5 of each panel are assembled with thetwo end portions of the joiner tube adjacent the first pair of spacedside walls 11 inserted in and frictionally engaging the channel-shapedlongitudinal edge portion 9 of the adjacent panel sections. Theextremities 14 of the extruded side wall skin members terminate short ofthe proximate shoulder portions 13 of the joiner tube, and the firstpair of joiner tube side Walls 11 are spaced from their respectiveproximate endmost web members 8 of the adjacent panel sections. Thus,

the joiner tube, except for its frictional engagement by thechannel-shaped edge portions 9, is free to move in and out of thechannel-shaped edge portions by a significant distance without theshoulder portions 13 simultaneously abutting the extremities of the skinmembers 7 of the adjacent wall panel sections.

The outermost fire-resistant panels 6 are positioned parallel to andsubstantially in contact with each wall panel skin member 7. These outerpanels 6 are coextensive with a plurality of wall panel sections 5 andare held in place by being secured, as by a screw 15, to the underlyingcentral offset portion of each joiner tube interconnecting the pluralityof wall panel sections with which the outer panel 6 is coextensive.Thus, the outermost panels 6 are anchored in place only at the floatingjoiner tubes so that the metal wall panel sections 5 can expand orcontract under varying temperature conditions without causing bucklingor other distortion of the assembly.

Adjacent wall assemblies are advantageously joined together in themanner shown in the right half of FIG. 1, and in more detail in FIG. 3,to permit relative movement of one assembly with respect to the otherwithout distorting or disrupting the outer panels of fire-resistantmaterial. As shown in these drawings, the longitudinal edges of adjacentpanel assemblies engage two complementary halves 10a and 10b of a joinertube 10 which can be extruded as such or obtained by cutting a joinertube 10 in half lengthwise. The two half-tubes 10a and 10b arefrictionally joined by an inner joiner tube 16 of substantially oblongcross-section, the width of the tube 16 across the joint beingsubstantially less than the distance between the opposite side walls 11aand 11b of the two half-tubes. The extremities of the adjacent outerpanels 6 are secured to their respective proximate halftubes 10:: and10b by suitable means, such as screws 15a and 15b. Thus, the extremitiesof the outer fire-resistant panels are secured to the floatinghalf-tubes 10a and 10b which, in turn are slidably held in place bytheir frictional engagement with the inner joiner tube 16.

It will be seen, accordingly, that the wall construction assembly of thepresent invention makes possible the installation of fire-protectionpanels rigidly supported by an internal extruded metal assembly which iscapable of moving within the fire-protective panels as the metalassembly expands or contracts but without distorting the outer panelarrangement and without causing the abutting outer protective panels tobecome separated from one another. It will be further understood that anadditional protective or decorative panel or covering, such as metalfoil laminate or plastic sheet, can be applied over either or both ofthe fire-protective panels 16.

I claim:

1. A wall construction assembly comprising at least two extruded metalwall panel sections and an extruded metal joiner tube,

(a) each of the panel sections comprising two parallel skin membersintegrally connected in spaced relationship by a plurality of webmembers positioned at longitudinally spaced intervals transversely between the skin members, the skin members extending beyond the endmostweb members of each panel section to form therewith a channel-shapedlongitudinal edge portion,

(b) each of the joiner tubes comprising an elongated tube having a firstpair of parallel spaced side walls and a second pair of parallel spacedside walls normal to the first pair, each of the side walls of thesecond pair thereof having a central portion outwardly ottset from theother portions thereof by a shoulder portion substantially normal to theplane of the other portions of said second pair of side walls and havinga depth substantially equal to the thickness of the channel-formingextensions of the wall panel section skin members, the two centralportions being parallel to one another,

(c) the wall panel sections being assembled with the two end portions ofthe joiner tube adjacent the first pair of spaced side walls inserted inand frictionally engaging the channel-shaped longitudinal edge portionsof adjoining wall panel sections with the extremities of the extendingside wall skin members terminating short of the proximate shoulderportions of the joiner tube and with the first pair of joiner tube sidewalls spaced from their respective proximate endmost web members of theadjacent wall panel sections,

(d) a fire-resistant panel being positioned parallel to andsubstantially in contact with each wall panel section skin member andcoextensive with a plurality of the wall panel sections, thefire-resistant panel being secured to the underlying central offsetportion of each joiner tube interconnecting said plurality of wall panelsections.

2. A wall construction comprising at least two of the assemblies definedin claim 1 and joined (a) by a joiner tube according to claim 1 butseparated into two separate complementary portions by divisionlengthwise and medially of the central offset portion thereof,

(b) by an oblong cross-sectional joiner tube two side walls of which arefrictionally positioned within the complementary portion of thefirst-mentioned joiner tube and the other two side walls of which arespaced from the proximate parallel first pair of side walls of thefirstrnentioned joiner tube,

(c) the edge portions of the adjacent fire-resistant panels on a commonside of the joined assemblies being secured to the proximate underlyingseparate complementary portions of the first-mentioned joiner tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,128,797 8/1938 Bohnsack 52-4812,821,450 1/1958 Knoll 52-586 3,066,774 12/1962 Dahrne 52-732 3,078,9682/1963 Frick 52-481 3,158,236 11/1964 Caligiuri 52-731 3,192,671 6/1965Smith 52-586 3,386,221 6/ 1968 Giovannucci 52-586 FOREIGN PATENTS1,098,681 1/ 1968 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner JAMES L. RIDG ILL, 1a., AssistantExaminer US. Cl. X.R. 52-481, 494, 573

